Best/Worst Factory Edge

I agree: Funny thing is my United Cutlery Karambit was way, way more precisely ground (and crisply finished in a luxurious looking blueing-like mirror polish, which was also tough wearing) than almost any other knife I have, superior to big name customs costing in the thousands, but with a useless thick 90 degree edge inside the concave curve...

If they have have fancy machines programmed to do this absolute finishing perfection, why not program them to put a thinner useable edge? It's just brain dead...

Gaston
 
Gaston444 said:
I agree: Funny thing is my United Cutlery Karambit was way, way more precisely ground (and crisply finished in a luxurious looking blueing-like mirror polish, which was also tough wearing)

Gaston
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Who knows, maybe mine just came from a bad batch.

knifedude802 said:
I'm not sure if I even consider United Cutlery like a real thing, more of a mall toy manufacturer. Could be they make something worth checking out, but I've never seen it.
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From the things ive seen them selling, they look to be more in the movie prop business, and arent as focused on making things geared toward heavy use or long lasting. Or it could be that im just not looking in the right places.
 
Best was either my Benchmade 940-1 or a Kershaw Cryo.

Worst was a Smith & Wesson I picked up. Wouldn't cut a thing but the tip was super sharp
 
Extrema Ratio BF1 CD. The grind wasn't that precise but polishing and sharpness was outta this world. Not what you would expect from a military knife. And it cuts great.
 
Sharpest- Spyderco K2 and Manix 2 LW S110V, Ontario Rat 1, Boker Plus Urban Trapper, Kizer Bad Dog, and of course any morakniv knives

Dullest- Benchmade Grip and 940, Esee Laser Strike
 
I'm a big benchmade guy, but a few of their knives have been dull out of the box! Easily made hair popping on the sharpmaker though! My worst has been my spyderco Manix 2 lw! I can get it fairly sharp but not as sharp as my benchmades! My cold steel Espada was absolutely horrendous out of the box, terrible burrs, but it cleaned up easily on the sharpmaker and is now one of my sharpest!
 
Every one of my ZTs and US made kershaws were pretty sharp and easily shaved hair.

Every Survive! knives knife I have came atom splitting sharp.
 
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My crkt minimalist tanto really annoyed me, the edge near the tip was in a diagonal exactly like this /

I was wondering why cutting performance was hit and miss and didnt think to look at the edge. I prefer my bowie version out of the three versions.
 
One of the worst. Zt 0801. Edge rolled and felt dull immediately. Stropped for 10 minutes, got it sharp. The Zt 0452cf was and is also pathetic, have not sharpened that yet because of the bladegrind.. great flippers, great in hand but sharpness sucks balls out the box and after first cuts.
 
The best edge out of the box? Benchmade.

The worst edge out of the box? Benchmade.

When Benchmade misses the mark, they really miss the mark. Uneven grinds reign supreme. When Benchmade gets it right, the dang thing is like a laser!
 
I have purchased several hundred knives over the years. And I am sure it is possible to get a bad edge from just about any production knife manufacturer. But it seems some companies tend to have more problems than others. Also some are more pleasant to deal with when attempting to deal with defective knives.

Enzo has been one of the best for consistent edges. Although I have had two that arrived with a bit of an unsymmetrical grind. Also I have had good luck with Buck and consistent edges. Spyderco is top notch for quality grinds on their edges as well.

Most brands that I have purchased (Ka-Bar, Becker, TOPS, Ontario, Acme Camillus, Taylor Schrade, Benchmade, Bark River, Kershaw, etc) fall in the middle category of it takes just a little work to get the edge the way I desire it which is fine by me.

I have had several bad grinds from Queen Cutlery consisting of both folders and fixed blades. Even though Queen's quality control has been sketchy, their customer service has been great for resolving problems. Bear and Sons is another brand that I seem to get consistently bad grinds. Gerber also has a rather poor record with sloppy grinds on their blades.

The worst so far has been an ESEE Izula 2. It came from a well known online vendor with a bad off center, irregular grind. Even after a trip back to Rowen, the grind was totally unacceptable.
 
I received a brand new in box Gerber Strongarm yesterday and it has taken its place as the worst OOB edge I have ever seen. Its a shame really because the rest of the knife is fantastic and an amazing value for the money.
 
The consistently best edge for me in a production fixed (I'm a fixed guy) is Survive Knives...I have a few and they all come more scary sharp than the last. It's actually a bit strange, as the most recent SK I got, the GSO5, is one of the older models before he thinned out the edges...so this thing cuts/slices like a super thin fillet knife, but it's got a relatively thick edge/behind edge width. Guy, the owner, puts the edges on all of them and I don't know what he does exactly, but he's doing it right!

The best edge period easily goes to Stuart Davenport = custom maker Samuraistuart here on BF. The last knife Stuart made has a nearly invisible edge, it's literally only visible at the right angle & light and the thing is just something beyond sharp....when I run it through paper, the paper just falls to either side as the blade glides down, there's no sound & no resistance that my senses can pick up...I've never experienced anything like it, the man's a genius.

I won't list anything for worst...no company sticks out in my personal experience....there have been some dull ones, but I've been pretty lucky.
 
Worst: Benchmade Barrage 580 (dull), anything Queen (grinds + dull), BRKT Bravo 1 (not as sharp as its reputation said it would be), Gerber Bear Grylls (yes…I bought one out of curiosity).


Best: Fallkniven F1 (by far), BRKT Mini Fox River, anything Mora Carbon Steel (2nd only to Fallkniven), Benchmade Barrage 581
 
Best? Spyderco and Cold Steel for me. Almost every one of 'em.

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And, I must add, my sharpest (scary, really dangerously sharp) Spydies by far were precisely and just the Salt models. Each and every of them.

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My Aqua Salt, Pacific and Dragonfly salts were scary to handle at first. The sharpest thing I've ever cut myself with, other than two scalpel blades time ago, was my Spyderhawk Salt. Brutally sharp.

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My best was Spyderco. My worst was Spyderco. Best Spyderco was the Delica 4, my worst was the Manix 2.. The Manix 2 had a very uneven grind and wasn't even that sharp!
 
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